Apparatus for spraying sugar and the like



Oct. 1 9 1926.

E. ROBERTS APPARATUS FOR SPRAYING SUGAR AND THE LIKE Filed April 8. 1921 4 Sheets-Sheet l Oct. 19 1926.

E. ROBERTS APPARATUS FOR SPRAYIN SUGAR AND THE LIKE Filed April e. 1921 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Oct. 19 1926. 1,604,102

E. ROBERTS APPARATUS FOR SPRAYING SUGAR AND THE LIKE Filed April a, `1921 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 0a. 19 192s. 1,604,102 E. ROBERTS APPARATUS FOR SPRAYING SUGAR AND THE LIKE Filed April a. 1921 4 sheet's-sheet 4 Patented Oct. 19, 1926.

naiven sTATesPATENr OFFICE.

EUGENE ROBERTS, OF' SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH, ASSIGNOR T0 THE WESTERN STATES MACHNE COMEANY, OF SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH, A CORPORATION OF UTAH.

APPARATUS FOR SPRAYING SGAR AND THE LIKE.

Application led April 8,

rthis invention relatesio the problem of washing sugar or other separate solids contained in centrifugal baskets and is in the` ri`he machine of the aforesaid patent was operated b a small motor running inde* pendently of the centrifugal machine itself. rlhe present invention is intended to provide a machine of this class which shall be driven by an intermittent and automatically controlled connection with the centrifugal basket shaft or spindle which shall be so constructed and arranged as to readily accommodate itself to the gyratory or swaying movement ofthe rotary basket spindle.

To this end the invention comprises, in a general sense, the combination with the centrifugal basket shaft, of a timing mechanism opei.': ..tively connected with the centrifugal,

`basket .shaft in conjunction with a suitable snr-ay nozzle, a cut-off valve therefor, and means controlled by said timing mechanism for automatically closing saidvalve to shut` off the supply of liquid from the spray nozzle and for automatically interruptingr the automatic driving connection between the basket spindle and the timing mechanisrwhereby `the timing` mechanism ceases to operate when the valve is closed. This and other features of the invention will be more particularly explained in the following specification and will be defined inthe claimsV annexed hereto. Y i

ln the accompanying drawings l have shown a simple and effective mechanism constructed in accordance with the principles of this invention as illustrative of the same in which:

Figure l is a side elevation showing the suspended centrifugal basketand its sur-- rouhding curb on whichcurb islocated the autor atie spray apparatus with its driving connection in operative relation to the basket spindle. f

Figure 2f is a detail view of the driving connection adjacent to the centrifugal spindle, part section.

Figure 3 is in Figure 2. y

Figure 4 is an enlarged vi-ew in rear elevation, that is, viewed rom the side toward `a plan viewiof the parts shown to the form illustrated in the drawings,

of the housing being shown in 1921. Serial N0. 459,677.

the basket spindle, of an automatic timing mechanism and valve closing mechanism.

Figure 5 is a side elevation partly in section -of the timing and valve closing mechanism viewed from the direction opposite to that showing Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a plan view partly in section showing the timing and valve closing mechamsm.

Figure 7 is a detail showing in elevation the detent or latch which prevents the operation of the valve closing mechanism.

In the practice of my invention, according E have mounted on the curb @surrounding thecentrifugal basket b which is suspended from the gyratory rotary spindle o, a casing 1 which serves both as a detent and a support forv the principal `working parts `of the washing apparatus. Asbest shown in Figures 4 and 6, there` is secured in the lower part of said casing a liquid supply1 pipe or conduit 2 provided with a valve chamberl, having a valve seat 4 adapted to be closed by a reciprocatory valve 5 carried by the vertical valve stein 6 which slides through the stuffing box 7. y

This liquid Vsupply pipe 2 passes through opposite openings in the opposite walls of the casing l and `is clamped in one wall by means `of the clamping nuts 8 with its farther end projecting through the opposite wall and forming a bearing on which turns or oscil- -lates a sleeve or hollow hub 9 to which is attached a packing gland ring l0 by means of screws arranged to compress snuglyin suitable packing material interposed between the gland ring 10 and the opposite inside shoulder of the hub or sleeve 9. It will be seen by reference to Figure 4 that this sleeve turns upon the encircled end portion of the pipe 9., while at the same time getting an external bearing in the bearing aperture formed in the wall of the casing. At its4 outer end this hollow chamber orsleeve is provided with avremovable cap or plus,r 11.` i-it one side the sleeve 9 is provided with a downwardly inwardly projecting hollow arm 19. which terminates in a sort of hub or `bearing portionlB in which is introduced the close-fitting neck portion 14 of an elbow 'A clamping nut 16 on the outer end of vthe neck 14 serves to seat this neck portion against the walled-up solid'on Lthe interior n of 'the centrifugal basket.

f securedupon thesleeve. lhelowe .'Aboutithe' inner lreduced portionof the sleever`9 is clamped a bell cranklever'fZO whose hub is split to permitits beingY tightly arm'Ql of this' bell 'crank 'lever carriesjan 'anti-friction roller 22 which is normally "pressed against thenpper edge of a wave secured tothe vertical' sha'ftl wh 'st-itutes the main onerati-n'e shaft of the l i i;

spraying 'apparatusf AThe 1 other f arm T23 of Y thebell crank llever ,is engaged bylaftension *cured to said sleeve o.)

whereby the sleeve be turned about its spring 24 whose opposite end ishooked into 'a lug or suitable'ancho'rage carried by 'the'inside"frontwallfof the casing 1. y

On the 'top of the casing 1 is'provided a housing' '32 having-a vertical central bore lformingva bearing fory oscillatory sleeve y Y L47 so long a'ssuoh engagement continues.

x33 which-is internally bored vto receive the upper end ofthe main operating or 'actuating shaft 31, thus affording an upper bear-V ing for said shaft. The lower end of said shaft is Ymounted in a' foot-step bearing184kY on Ethe bottom of the casing. 'Tightly ser in aha-nd lever 35 axis for a purpose to be later described. On the upper end ,of said sleeve, as shown in Figure 1, is 1'nounted -a' hollow angle arm housing which project-s down outside the upperendfofthe sleeve' '33 and is keyed to vit 'I by means of a pml? onthe 'sleeve which projects through a" horizontal slot 38 in lthe,member 36 to 'permit apartial rotative 'movement Vof the -h'ousingf3'6, whileaflort ingstops tolimit such rotative movement.

il helical torsion spring` 39 has its lower end anchored to thefhub of the lever 35,

while its upper end is anchored to the lowerV ,part ofthe housing member 36. rlhe thrust ,or torque of this spring tends to turn Ythe `housii'i'g in a clocl'ravise' directionas viewed movement for the purpose of opening the cut-ofi valve 'as well as 'forthe'purpose uof 'setting y the Vantoma'tic timing -mechanism vin c operation., will be explained.

`The timing`inechanisni, laccording yto the form 'herein "shown, comprises a worin ici;

hollow screw 'member "40 which is :secured to the lower end of the 'shaft 31 so as. to constitute, in effect, an integral portion thereof. Adjacent to this worm or screw shaft sectionis mounted Va vertical bracket Y'from therlever Y4T'that is fast'on the horizontal rock shaft 4S in order to prevent said lrock fshafft from rotating in ,a i contr'a'clockwise directi'onunder thetension of the con- -jtfractile sp'ringf49 which is anchored to Vthe boite() at one end and to a pin 51 carried by a lever f4? at the otherend.

'The 'tension 'of the V"spring tends/to pull the rock arm 47 forward toward the middle of the casing which movement, however, lis

resisted by thefhook arm of the latch'43 engaging the projecting'finger 46 of the lever As thevbunt end ofthe arm 44 overhangs the path of the travel of the release block or member 42, it will be seen that when the block '4t2 is infengagement with the worm or screw 40 the rotation of such worm will cause the blockfil? yto travel upwardly until itpreSSesagainst said farm44 swinging it about itsV aXisY in a clockwise direction and thereby causing Ait to release its engagement with the linger'46 of the rock shaft. As soon as 'such automatic release takes place, the js'pring 49 is free to vturn the rock armor rock l,shaft toward the middle ofthe casing. The'rojck shaft `hasanoth'er arm 52 provided with a fork Vor'slotted end engaging a ,pin '53,. projecting laterally fromy the valve stem :6 so that such'iotativemovement ofthe rock V`shaft '48, under "the tension of the spring49 forces the valve stein downwardl'7 cansino Y v O `the valve 5to seat firmly yagainst its valve seat 4 in the .valve chamber thus shutting off completelythe supplyofrliquid to the spray nozzle.

At the same time this rotation of the rock Vshaft*causes the slideblook bracket41 to be "retracted away lfrom the worm so as to disengage the release member 42 from perative .engagement therewith. Y This is accomplished by providing two 'parallel suspension links 56, 57 whose lower ends are :pivotally connected with` the roller extension'lll?- 't the 'releaseblock-'carrieror bracket. The link 57 is mounted on a horizontal shaft 5S.r` while "theliiik fissectiied tothe rock -Sh'aftj48 so alette be; ll-llte therewith. llt-tillitlere be een that rotative movement of the rock under the y influence of the tension spring 49 will `operate to swing the parallel links 537 outwardly away from the actuating shaft to cause disengageinent of the release block therefrom. lVhen so disengaged the release ineinber is free to drop by gravity in its guide-way in the bracket until it rests against the adjustable stop pin 60 `which is carried by a vertical slide rod (il whose upper end is screw threaded and car` ries an adjusting nut 62. The pin 6() passes through a vertical central slot 63 forined in the carrier bracket Lll which slot permits the pin to project through into position to be extended beneath the block 4L-2, and also prevents the rotative inovernent of the rod 6l when the nut 62 is turned for adjusting the vertical position of the rod in order to position the stop linger 6 9 at the desired level for the purpose of increasingor diminishing the length of travel of the release block, and thereby increasing or diminishing the gyration of operation ofthe timing shaft before the latch 43 is automatically knocked oil to cut ofi theliquid supply. y

As previously explained itis the intention to drive the actuating shaft ot this apparatus from the centrifugal basket spindle by a connecting drive inechanisin which shall 'be operative only when the spraying of the sugar is desired, that is, when the valve is lopen, and shall beconiednoperative or :interrupted when the cut-olli' valve is closed. It is also intended to providea construction of this kind which shall follow or accommodate itself to the gyratory swinging of the basket spindle. I 4will now 'describe the driving mechanism by which the actuating shaft 3l. is intermittently driven from the basket spindle.

On the basket spindle c at the proper elevation is clamped or otherwise secured a seetional pulley member 70 having a convex` periphery. The housing' 36 has a horizontally extended arrn 7l in which is mounted a horizontal transmission shaft 72 having bevel gear connection with the upper end of the shaft 8l as shown in Figure 1, the chamber containing the bevel gears being closed by a removable cover 74. To theinner end of said driving sha-ft 72 is secured a spur gear interrneshing with a smaller pinion76 which is combined with a worm gear 77 inointed on the bearing arbor or shaft 78 carried by a `hollow housing 79. A short vertical worin shaft 8O is mounted in upper and lower bearings in this housing 79 as to rnesh with the worin (fear 77v and said worm `shaft 8O carries at its lower end a concave friction pulley 82 arranged in the'saine hori- `r/:ontal plane with the convexperipheryof the pulley7 70, so that when the inner end of the arm 7l of the housing is swung toward `the basket `shaft these two pulleys will muside the casing is provided with a housin tually engage to establish a frictional driving connection between the driving shaft 72 and the basket spindle lever.

The torsion spring 39 engaging respectively the., vertical ineinber of the housing and the hub of the hand lever wl 'ch is fast on the sleeve acts to press the pulley 82 into driving cont-act with the pulleyv so as to maintain constant driving connection unaffected by thegyration of the basket spindle so long as the inner end of the arin 7l niaintaine'd in liunta-position to the basket shaft.

The lower end of the vertical sleeve inarni 90 which is `connected with the pin 5l carried by the rock arin or lever al-7 by ineens of a pivotal link 91, so that the rock shaft 4:8, which forinspart of the timing or controlling mechanism, is interconnected with the sleeve 33 and the controlling` lever 35, Hence as the rock shaft 48, when released from the latch or detent e3, rocks inward toward the actuating shaft 3l under the tension of spri g 4-9, thesleeve 33 will be turned in a contraclockwise direction and this turning rnoveinent will be transmit-ted through the pin and slot connection 37, 38 to the 35 thereby carrying the inner end projecting of the arm 7l away frein proximity to the basket spindle and wholly disengagingor interrupting the drivingr connection established between the two friction pulleys 70 and 82. As already explained, this inward rotation of the rock arin 47 and of the rock shaft 48, under the influence of spring 49, operates to close the cut olf valve 5 to shut oft' the liquid supply,

The entire operation is as follows:

Assuming the valve to be closed and the arm 7l swung away from the basket spindle; in this position the spray apparatus will be at rest and no action takes place. lfilhen it is desired to wash the sugar the operator throws the controlling lever in a olockwise direction which results in swinging the arln 7l toward the basketsha'ft to establish driving connection between the friction pnlleys 70 and 82. This saine inoveinent of the control lever and sleeve 33 acts, through the link 91 (Figure) to turn the ro iiii .i 48 about its axis in a clockwise direction, the rock shaft acting, through its described connections, to shift the carrier bracket ll towardthe worin l0 so that the vrelease block 42 is interrneshed therewith. At the saine tiniethe valve stern is raised and opens the valve. By this single shifting` inovernent the lever, therefore, the liquidsupply is lnitted to Ythe spray nozzle,a drivingconnection is established between the actuating shaft and the basket spindle and the tiini mechanism is started `on its operation wh A the spray `nozzle is oscillated by ineans of the earn 30 and the arin 2l. `The valve remains open, the oscillation of ,the spray noz'- zle continues, and thefrelease block or traveler continues to rise along its driving worin until saidblock engages the latch lland releases Vits deteiit engagement with Vthe rock 4shaft arm. As soon as this release is effected, the eontractile'spring 49 acts to simultaneously closethe valve, disengage the traveling block Ll2 from its driving worin and interrupt the driving connection between the basket spindlev and the actuating` shaft so that the apparatus is once more at rest with the liquid supply` cut off and so continues until the control lever is again thrown to f ope-Eating position. Obviously, the lengh tents of` a centrifugal basket, the combina- A tion of-asupporting casing, a vertical actu- Aating shaft mounted therein, timingA mechanism operatively connected with the .lower -portion of said actuating shaft land acting, after a predetermined interval, to causethe cut-off of the liquid spray, a horizontal 4driving shaft forming an intermediate connection between said actuating shaftV and the basket spindle of the centrifugal through the medium 0f friction pulleys, vand means for automatically swinging said horizontal shaft away from its driving connection'with-- the basket spindle, said means being controlled Vbv'the timing mechanismfto operi-ate when the spray isl cut off, substantially as described.

2. In an apparatus for spraying the contents of a centrifugal basket, thevcombin'ation ofa spray nozzle` a cut-off valve for controlling the flow of liquid to said nozzle, 'automatic timing kmechanism operating fto :cause said valve to close aftera predetermined period, a imain actuating shaft for operating the timing mechanism, a housing pivotally mounted bvsaid actuating shaft, a connecting driving-shaft insaid housingfor establishing' driving connection with the basket .spindle of; the centrifugal. Vvand means 'toting-1.211151. maintaining seid driving 90snctien Y iii, Oreratre :.felaten y t@ thegbasket spindlenso fas to accommodate' thegswinging @vement Sli-*SeidSpindleiSQlOnsas the @at on' .valve `remains opemsubstantially as de- 'Sdrbed-n Y, .i 5.-. a as 'separat-iisfarisei-armste@ tents of a centrifugal basket, the combination of afspr'a-y nozzle, a lcut-oif valve for controlling the supply of liquids thereto, automatic timing mechanism, a main actuatingshaft'forfdrivng said timing mechanism, aipivoted'housing mounted coaxially with said shaft, a rotatable controlling lever having 'operative connection with said pivotedl housing and with said cut-off valve, a horizontal driving shaft mounted in said housing to establish a driving connection between thebasket spindle and the actuating shaft when the valve is open, and to be moved out of operativelrelation to said basket spindle as the valve isclosed, substantiallyrasfdesci'ibed. f

In an apparatus for spraying the contents of a centrifugal basket, Vthe combination of an oscillatoryaspray nozzle.,a cutoif valve for controlling theflow of liquid to said nozzle, Ameans for oscillating said rspray nozzle, automaticallyj controlled means for closing 'saidvalve after thevlapse of apredetermined period fromits opening, an actuatingshaft for actuating said controlling means for oscillating said spray nozzle, a rotatable lever having operative connection ywith said. valve and with saidcontrolling means, "aqconnecting train for establishing vdriving connection between the basketV spindle and actuating shaft, said connecting trainbeing movable'toward and away from Isaid basket shaft by means of said lever,

said lever having aspring tension connection by which said connecting train 4is noi'- mallyf pressed into operative connection with the basket-spindle when the cut-off valve is open, substantially'as described.

5. In an apparatus lfor sprayingthe contents of a centrifugal basket, the combination of a spray nozzle and its controlling cutvalve is automatically closed after a predetermined period, an actuating shaft therefor,fa Vpivotal housing mounted'to swing ce- Vaxiallyvof said shaft, a horizontal shaft mountedin said housing and having driving connection withV the basket spindle through the medium-of' a worin gear drive and frictionpulleys, and means forV shifting said housing to intetrupt the driving connection of the basket shaft and at the saine Vtime close the cut-off valve,

.infr thelower Iendfof said-shaft, alpvivotal housinfr .niounteol Iaround fthe Lipper end of Vsaidfshaft'and ,having a pin and slot connection Vfwithfsaid sleeve, driving connecting @means earned brSedfhmunsiu .posit-ion t0 11. eftate @pernirwana-seitige;Within@ centr ugal basket shaft, a torsion Spring lou `off valve, controlling means 'by which said lil) connecting said sleeve and said housing, and a controlling member moved by said actuating shaft and acting to automatically cause the closing of the valve' and the moving of the housing away from the basket shaft, substantially as described.

7. ln an automatic sprayer :for centrifugals, the combination with a spraying nozzle and its cut off valve, of a vertical actuating shaft, a timer arranged to be opera tively connected with said actuating shaft by means of a manually controlled starting member having connection with said valve to open it, a transmission shaft forming a driving connection between the shaft of the centriii'ugal and said actuating shaft, saidl driving connectionbeing effected by said manually controlled member and being interrupted through the action of said timer, the latter acting also to cause the closingv of the cut off valve after a predetermined period.

8. In an automatically controlled sprayer for centritugals, the combination with a spraying nozzle and its cut-orf valve, of an upwardly extending driving shaft having automatically discontinuable driving connection with the rotary centrifugal, a timer mechanism driven by said shaft and acting to automatically effect the closing of the cutoff valve after a predetermined period and acting, at the same time, to effect an interruption or' the driving connection between the centrifugal and said driving shaft wheree by the sprayer and its driving shaft cease automatic timing mechanism acting to cause the closing of the valve after a predetermined interval following its opening coinbined with an external driving shaft arranged to have automatically discontinuable driving connection with the centrifugal, and means whereby operation of the valve-open ing means to admit liquid to the spray nozzle establishes operative connection between said driving shaft and the centrifugal, said connection being automatically interrupted simultaneously with the automatic closing of the valve, substantially as described.

In witness whereof, I have subscribed the above specification.

EUGENE ROBERTS` 

